Targa TasmaniaEvent Overview

19th APRIL – 24TH APRIL 2021

TARGA Tasmania gives you access to some of the world’s ultimate driving roads, where the most exciting challenges are waiting to be conquered.

TARGA Tasmania is your passport to driving your car through some of the most beautiful, yet technically challenging sealed roads. Experience the primal thrill of tackling turn after turn, the exhilaration of driving your pride and joy, as it was designed, on roads that are otherwise never closed.

TARGA Tasmania travels over 2000kms in 6 days. Starting in the northern part of the island, Launceston is one of the few cities on the planet designed around a gorge. The course will then take you past beach-lined coasts and World Heritage-listed Mountains.

Along the way, you will pass welcoming farm-gate producers, cellar doors and restaurants specialising in local produce, before finishing on Hobart’s picturesque waterfront.

Leg 1: Monday, 19th April

STAGE 1: HIGH PLAINS

5.80kms

“High Plains” starts with a flowing run through open farmland then climbs steeply uphill through a forest before a series of tricky bends at the top of the climb and then a short but steep descent to the finish.

Stage 2: Moriarty

5.22km

“Moriarty” flows through farmland with several deceptive ninety degree corners at the end of straights.

Stage 3: Paloona

16.35km

“Paloona” is an interesting stage that varies in character. Some areas go through open road, while some go through forest, some are tight and some are fast. The road winds through several series of tight corners over tricky crests before running up hills to the east of Paloona dam.

Stage 4: Mt Roland

26.27km

“Mt Roland” is the first 26km’s of the Cethana stage in reverse. It starts with a hill climb up Mt Claude then a flat run over the top of the plateau before a series of tight bends down the other side of the plateau before a flowing run to the finish.

Stage 5: Golden Valley

12.31km

Golden Valley is the first completely new stage for 2020. It starts off with numerous hairpin’s before a flowing section in the middle of the stage and then finishing off with another section of hairpin turns.

Stage 6: Poatina

11.45km

“Poatina” is a stage not used since the 1992 event. It is a 712m descent with numerous hairpin corners making it a challenging stage for drivers.

Leg 2: Tuesday, 20th April

Stage 7: The Sideling

13.96km

“The Sideling” regarded as one of the key Targa Stages to sort outright and category placings. It is the first of five North-East stages using the Tasman Highway for the course. The stage takes competitors through forestry plantations with plenty of sharp corners requiring skills in car placement and gear selection.

Stage 8: Moorina

8.92km

“Moorina” is a tight and twisty stage all the way uphill with plenty of sharp corners. It is over a coarse chip surface and requires concentration to finish close to the base time. A short but very satisfying drive.

Stage 9: Weldborough Pass

13.28km

“Weldborough Pass” is an extremely twisty stage. Don’t be deceived by the first few hundred metres which are fast, for the twisting and turning suddenly arrives! A long descent tests the driver’s courage and the efficiency of the brakes on the vehicles! Not even the quickest will make the base time.

Stage 10: Pyengana

6.47km

“Pyengana” is a similar stage to Moorina. Winding through bush land where trees are very close to the road. It passes through farmland where there are many deceptive bends and several dams close to the road.

Stage 11: Elephant Pass

11.11km

“Elephant Pass” is the most famous East Coast pass and definitely one of the toughest of the event, with switchback corners, steep drops from the side of the road and rock embankments. Run in the south – north direction it becomes a challenging 7km hill climb before winding slightly downhill to the finish. The stage is as daunting as it is challenging to drive.

Stage 12: Rossarden

12.05km

“Rossarden” starts with a fast flowing stage with many sweeping bends and a few that unexpectedly change direction. It then descends very steeply to the finish. On the descent there are many tight, narrow unprotected bends on the left hand side with a steep bank on the right.

LEG 3: Wednesday, 21st April

Stage 13: Cethana

37.71km

“Cethana” a great stage and the longest of the day, is considered to be the best section of tarmac road in the world. Winding with crests and dips it crosses the Mersey river followed by a twisty climb, opening out to a fast section on the plateau and an undulating run through many difficult corners. This section is followed by a steep descent into the Forth Valley followed by a climb to the finish at Moina.

Stage 14: Castra

7.76km

“Castra” starts off with a nice flowing climb to the top of the hill then has a sharp left turn that many competitors have overshot in the past. It then follows a very long and steep descent to the Wilmot river with a equally steep climb up the other side of the valley to the finish.

Stage 15: Isandula

7.69km

“Isandula” starts off flat and flowing and then climbs to a sharp right turn that is hard to see. The run to the finish is a fun, flowing section.

Stage 16: Oldina

19.65km

“Oldina” starts of through flowing open farming country until the 15.84km point when it has a sting in its tail with some difficult to read corners.

Stage 17: Hellyer Gorge

20.93km

“Hellyer Gorge” provides one of the events ultimate driving challenges. It starts off gently enough, over an undulating road until suddenly … it’s on in earnest as the road surface changes to a smooth one and winds its way downhill to the bottom of the gorge before a series of twists and turns up the other side to the plateau. The road is almost guaranteed to be wet and slippery, if not for its entire length then on many bends.

Stage 18: Rinadeena

35.13km

“Rinadeena” is the Strahan stage in reverse, which is a stage that has many changes of character. There are some fast areas and some very slow, over a well made road which is hard to read. There are many sweeping corners followed by corners that tighten and the occasional off camber corner to catch out the unwary.

Leg 4: Thursday, 22nd April

Stage 19: Pieman

25.42km

“Pieman” stage starts off with some sections of flowing bends and rises and falls with regularity. The surface is very slippery and the edges, where moss is on the side of the road, can be treacherous if wet. There are some corners near the end of the stage that are quiet out of character and will catch out the unwary.

Stage 20: Murchison

20.60km

“Murchison” is the reverse run of Hellyer Gorge. Very soon after the start line the descent begins winding its way downhill to the bottom of the gorge and then twists and turns up the other side with no ability to rest until you reach the top of the plateau.

Stage 21: Gunns Plains

14.77km

“Gunns Plains” starts through a magnificent valley of rolling pastures, climbs over a steep hill and drops down into another valley. All of this on narrow roads with little margin for error. There are two very deceptive junctions that have a fast approach.

Stage 22: Riana

35.98km

“Riana” an extremely important stage due to its length and variety of driving conditions. It is an unbelievably challenging stage that winds up and down three separate river valleys. Full of difficult to read crests and corners, the stage also contains some long straights with crests where the car will most likely become light.

Stage 23: Hellyer Gorge

20.9km

“Hellyer Gorge” provides one of the events ultimate driving challenges. It starts off gently enough, over an undulating road until suddenly … it’s on in earnest as the road surface changes to a smooth one and winds its way downhill to the bottom of the gorge before a series of twists and turns up the other side to the plateau. The road is almost guaranteed to be wet and slippery, if not for its entire length then on many bends.

Stage 24: Reece Dam

27.18km

“Reece Dam” is the reverse of the Pieman stage with some sections of flowing bends, it rises and falls with regularity. The surface is very slippery and the edges, where moss is on the side of the road, can be treacherous if wet. There are some corners near the end of the stage that are quiet out of character and will catch out the unwary.

Leg 5: Friday, 23rd APRIL

Stage 25: Strahan

33.45km

“Strahan” is a demanding stage due to it’s length and almost continuous twisting road. It is the most enjoyable roller coaster driving road in Tasmania, with sweeping corners followed by some tight esses.

Stage 26: Queenstown

6.99km

“Queenstown” follows a hill climb up the moonscape side of Mount Lyell out of Queenstown. Much tougher than it looks, and usually needs to be tackled in second gear all the way up the left-right-left-right climb to the saddle. The run down the other side is a little easier, but still a challenge

Stage 27: Mount Arrowsmith

52.39km

“Mount Arrowsmith” is the longest TARGA stage of the event. It is a mixture of fast, open stretches and tight bends, which can make or break a competitor’s aspirations to outright victory, category or class wins.

Stage 28: Tarraleah

8.68km

“Tarraleah” a challenging stage that sees the Lyell Highway twist and turn down to the Nive River valley and includes switchback bends and a bridge crossing followed by a fast steep climb back up the other side of the valley. Comparatively short for a leg five stage, it still requires concentration, brakes and tyres in good condition to achieve a quick time.

Stage 29: Molesworth

8.01km (8.45km)

“Molesworth” is the shortest stage for the day but has a couple of fun right and left combinations towards the end.

Stage 30: Grasstree Hill

6.72km

“Grasstree Hill” is a quick run over the outskirts of Hobart to finish leg 5 in Tasmania’s capital city.

LEG 6: Saturday, 24TH APRIL

Stage 31: Pelverata

10.36km

“Pelverata” starts off straight into a climb up to Kaoota followed by a steep descent that will test the team’s skills with some tight hairpin corners.

Stage 32: Gardners Bay 1

8.87km

“Gardners Bay” runs along Woodbridge Hill road from Gardners Bay to Woodbridge. It is harder than first appears and starts as a steep climb with moderately fast corners to the crest at Heeneys Bluff, followed by a quick run downhill on the other side of the saddle.

Stage 33: Oyster Cove 1

12.13km

“Oyster Cove” consists of a steady uphill twisting climb, followed by a downhill run to the finish.

Stage 34: Cygnet 1

14.94km

“Cygnet” the longest TARGA stage of leg six, takes the vehicles on a long climb and a short descent along Wattle Grove road to the spectator area near Kings Hill, followed by a long descent to a tee junction which will be approached at high speed. A run along the banks of the Huon Estuary is followed by a long climb up Silver Hill road to the saddle at Silver Hill before descending back towards Cygnet.

Stage 35: Gardners Bay 2

8.87km

“Gardners Bay” runs along Woodbridge Hill road from Gardners Bay to Woodbridge. It is harder than first appears and starts as a steep climb with moderately fast corners to the crest at Heeneys Bluff, followed by a quick run downhill on the other side of the saddle.

Stage 36: Oyster Cove 2

12.13km

“Oyster Cove” consists of a steady uphill twisting climb, followed by a downhill run to the finish.

Stage 37: Cygnet 2

14.94km

“Cygnet” the longest TARGA stage of leg six, takes the vehicles on a long climb and a short descent along Wattle Grove road to the spectator area near Kings Hill, followed by a long descent to a tee junction which will be approached at high speed. A run along the banks of the Huon Estuary is followed by a long climb up Silver Hill road to the saddle at Silver Hill before descending back towards Cygnet.

Stage 38: Longley

11.56km

“Longley” is deceptive and can catch out the unwary. It’s a good tight and twisty run along the Huon road from Vince’s Saddle to Neika, with a combination of sweeping bends and sharp corners and will be slippery if wet.